It’s been a massive start to 2026 for the horror genre. While January usually sees a slow post-holiday crawl, this month delivered two blockbuster film adaptations, several long-awaited sequels, and a huge cross-over chapter in Dead by Daylight. Here’s everything you might’ve missed in January 2026.
Big Releases and Updates
January delivered a stacked lineup of new horror, with a mix of gritty medical management , psychological horror and of course, the obligatory horror game set in a supermarket.
January 9 – Pathologic 3 Seven years after the last entry, you step into the role of Daniil Dankovsky as he attempts to contain a deadly plague in only 12 days, forcing you to diagnose patients, manage quarantines and suppress riots all while making impossible moral choices.
January 16 – BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW The latest entry in Serafini Productions’ wider psychological horror anthology, UNFOLLOW takes a surreal look at the darker side of online culture and the physical manifestations of digital trauma.
January 28 – Hellmart A night-shift management horror where you must keep a remote 24-hour store running while dodging “customers” who become increasingly monstrous after dark.
January 29 – The Midnight Walkers A “Tarkov with zombies” extraction horror that pits players against the undead and each other inside a massive, vertical infected mega-complex.
January 29 – I Hate This Place Based on the cult comic series, this isometric survival horror with a heavy 80s comic book aesthetic, tasks Elena with surviving the supernatural-infested Rutherford Ranch. Read our preview.
January 30 – The 9th Charnel An oppressive, slow-burn psychological horror following three scientists investigating a remote valley filled with sinister cult activity.
Major Game Updates
January 23 – Welcome to the Game III: Simon’s Debt Reflect Studios dropped a standalone demo this month, giving fans a first look at the new motel setting and gameplay mechanics. While the demo serves as a separate experience, the full game is currently set to release sometime in Q1 2026. Check out everything we currently know about WTTG3.
January 27 – Dead by Daylight: Stranger Things Vol. 2 The Fog expands with the arrival of Eleven and Dustin as survivors, while Vecna (yep, this is now the second distinct Vecna in DBD) joins the roster as a reality-warping new Killer. Ironically, he’s proved to be far stronger in the trials than he ever was in the TV show.
Big Announcements
Resident Evil Showcase Capcom’s latest gameplay overview livestream gave us our best look yet at the dual-protagonist system in Resident Evil Requiem (launching February 27). The footage highlighted a stark contrast between Grace’s horror-focused gameplay very reminiscent of Resident Evil 7, while Leon’s third-person chapters featured brutal “John Wick-style” executions and satisfying, skull-cracking curb stomps.
New Bloober Team Game Teased The devs behind the Silent Hill 2 remake have launched a cryptic new countdown site featuring a bleeding rose and a timer that ends on Valentine’s Day. Speculation is high that Bloober is remaking the controversial 2006 cult classic Rule of Rose, a game famously banned in the UK upon its original release. Hopefully 20 years later, us UK gamers will be able to play the remake.
Iron Lung Smashes the Box Office Markiplier’s Iron Lung movie hit theaters on January 30, and the results have been staggering. Fully funded and distributed by Markiplier himself, the film has seen fantastic results from both critics and the box office, which is an incredible win for the indie horror scene. The movie is based on the 2022 horror game by David Szymanski.
Return to Silent Hill Premieres The latest attempt at a Silent Hill 2 adaptation premiered on January 23, and it’s safe to say that we’re still waiting for a good Silent Hill movie to release. It feels like Silent Hill and Resident Evil TV/film adaptations are just cursed…here’s hoping that Weapons and Barbarian director Zach Cregger has better luck with his attempt at an RE movie.
January ’26 Industry News
The “Hot Uncle” Evolution of Leon Kennedy Beyond the gameplay, we got some hilarious insight into Leon’s “glow-up” for Requiem. It was revealed that Leon’s character design was meticulously reviewed and edited by female members at Capcom to ensure he aged just right for his return. Thank you, Capcom ladies!
Phasmophobia’s Road to 1.0 Kinetic Games kicked off the year by showing off their 2026 roadmap, confirming that the definitive ghost-hunting sim is finally nearing its full 1.0 release after six years in early access.
What’s Coming up in February?
We are super duper excited for February, as there’s some pretty massive releases that are just around the corner.
We’ve got the launch of REANIMAL by Tarsier Studios, famously the developers of Little Nightmares I and II. You can definitely see the Little Nightmares inspiration for REANIMAL, but I trust the devs to craft something original with this one.
Chapter 5 of Poppy Playtime is also on the way. I sort of checked out pf the series after chapter 3, so maybe now’s the time to catch-up before the next instalment in the mascot horror series.
Blumhouse Games is publishing Crisol: Theater of Idols, a sick-looking survival horror set in Spain where you use your own blood as ammunition.
And of course, the big ‘un. Resident Evil 9: Requiem comes out on February 27th. Already got the day booked off work.
We’ll be back at the end of February with another roundup of all the biggest horror news and releases.
